Motobu-Ha Shito-Ryu Karate Style

Master Choki Motobu was born the third son to the Motobu family in Okinawa. The Motobu family was of samurai class, meaning that the first son of the family was taught the family fighting methods. Choki Motobu soon found out that this was too slow and frustrating for him, so he began to lift heavy rocks and punch the punching post or the Makiwara. After a while, he became so strong that he earned the name “Monkey King” because of his tremendous leaping ability and general agility. In his youth, Master Motobu became known as a brawler and a trouble maker, so when he became the student of Master Itosu, this added to his difficulties being accepted as a student of one of the foremost masters in Okinawa. Master Motobu challenged many men in Japan; however, the defeat of a Russian boxer may have made him the most famous. In 1922, Master Motobu helped Master Funakoshi start teaching karate to the Japanese. Filled with a new outlook on his life, Master Motobu returned to Okinawa in 1936 and began training with Master Kentsu Yabu. Master Yabu was the only man ever to defeat Master Motobu. Master Motobu instructed many noted masters, among them are Shoshin Nagamine, Tatsuo Shimbuku, and Kosei Kuniba. Motobu-Ha Shito-Ryu Karate literally means Shito-Ryu Karate of Motobu. Master Choki Motobu lived from 1871 to 1944 and trained many Shito-Ryu Karate people; among those people was Master Kuniba, Kosei of the Seishinkai Karate Dojo in Osaka, Japan. After moving to Japan in 1926, Master Motobu began teaching in Osaka, at the Seishinkai and in Tokyo. Master Motobu left a strong fighting legacy to the Shito-Ryu of the Seishinkai. Master Motobu’s kata knowledge was limited and he believed mainly in Makiwara training and Kumite. He stated in his book about Okinawan training techniques that Naihanshi Kata was all one needed to be a strong fighter. The Seishinkai Karate Dojo named the karate that it taught there Motobu-Ha Shito Ryu, in honor of Master Motobu. Master Itosu (1813-1915) taught the following people in Okinawa: Gichin Funakoshi (considered the father of modern karate), Chosin Chibana (founder of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu), Shinpan Gusukama, Kentsu Yabu (defeated Motobu in a match and eventually became Motobu’s third instructor), Kenwa Mabuni (Mabuni trained under Itosu and Higanna and, from that training, formulated the Mabuni System of Shito-Ryu), also taught at the Seishinkai and Kanken Tooyama. Master Motobu studied under Itosu, Anko, Matsumora, Kosaku, Yabu, and Kentsu. Both Motobu and Mabuni taught at the Seishinkai Dojo - this is perhaps why the Shito-Ryu Karate System is a combination of Shurite, Nahate, and Tomarite. The style taught originally was known as Motobu-Ha Karate-Do and was not known as Motobu-Ha Shito-Ryu Karate until the death of Kosei Kuniba and the taking over of the Seishinkai by his son, Shogo Kuniba. The picture of Shogo Kuniba hangs at the front of our American Karate Academy dojo. Shito-Ryu had a variety of influences from many different masters in the middle 1800s. These diverse influences gave rise to a very complex karate system.The headquarters of Motobu-Ha Shito-Ryu Karate is the Seishinkai. In Osaka, Japan, the Seishinkai Karate Dojo was founded in the early 1900s when Kosei Kuniba moved to Japan from Okinawa.